The Moment
by Dana'sFairytales
Summary: Set in Season 5 in the Underworld, a one shot between Regina and Emma. Swanqueen


_**Oneshot. Hope you enjoy.**_

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At the moment it was unbearably cold in the underworld. It was always bitterly cold or scorchingly hot, the rain poured down and hail stones thundered down. The only thing that was constant was the wind, the type that blew you backwards.

Currently the wind was chilling Emma to the bone, as she and Regina marched up the hill back towards this version of Regina's manor. Her hands were deep in her pockets, as they walked in silence. It had been another long day, with little result.

They had been here now for four days, and Killian had not yet been found. Emma knew he was here though, he left her presents, mainly flowers. The gifts unnerved her, everything in this place was dead, whereas the flowers he left her were enchanted to be alive. They almost glowed.

Emma feared what it meant. That he was still a Dark One, as he obviously still had magic or at least access to it. She was afraid. He had not appeared to her immediately, instead they were all still here.

Part of her was terrified this had been his plan all along, to get her to literally drag her family, by herself to hell.

"Emma." Regina whispered, pulling her out of her thoughts.

Regina roughly pulled her down a side alley, as a large group of people came onto the main street.

Ever since their arrival, word of Regina's presence had spread. As a result their daily Killian hunts, had become fraught with danger. Regina had almost immediately confined Henry to the mansion, demanding someone be with him at all times. Everyone had agreed except of course Henry. Gold of course had disappeared off almost the moment they had arrived, but he did return daily.

Emma leaned against the alley wall, rubbing her eyes. Sleep was barely possible in the underworld, occasionally they got a couple of minutes, but they were always awaken. It was beginning to take its toll on everyone, they were mostly silent when together.

"They are gone." Regina said quietly, gently touching Emma's arm.

She looked at Emma with such concern on her face, it filled Emma with sadness. She hadn't wanted any of this. She had been so blinded by grief that it had consumed all her thoughts, and now here they were. Everyday she asked herself whether it was worth it. Whether if she even found Hook, he would actually be the man she knew, or if she would even still want to bring him back.

"We have to get going, Emma." Regina probed, "It's not safe."

"I know." Emma quietly replied. "I just..." she faltered, how could she express all she was feeling.

She looked up into Regina's soft brown eyes, and couldn't help but be blown away, as she always was, when she thought about how much Regina had changed. Once there had been so much animosity between them, and now Regina was the person, Emma couldn't think of a word. Regina was the person she relied on most, but there was more to it than that.

"It doesn't matter," she said, with a false smile, "Come on, lets get back."

Regina nodded, though she was clearly still concerned.

They began to walk in silence again, they were nearly back, when Regina interrupted the silence.

"Emma, I..." Regina didn't have a chance to finish her thought, purple smoke enveloped her, Emma ran towards her, hand outstretched. However her fingers fell through nothing.

Emma stood on the street staring at the spot where Regina had disappeared, her jaw began to shake, as she fell to her knees, the tears she was trying so desperately to keep in, streaming down her face.

No, no, no, no, this can't be happening. Emma wanted to scream, it felt like her body was crumbling inside. She looked ahead to the mansion, that she could just see. In a moment she knew she could not return without Regina.

Emma took a deep breath trying to steady herself. All that mattered was Regina now, getting her back. "What about Killian?" a small voice in her head snarled. Yes, what about Killian? The man who she had dragged her family literally into hell for, and how was now playing hide and seek with her. Instead of coming to her, so that they could leave.

It's all your fault. You are the one that made Hook a dark one, the one who let your family come with you. She tried to push these thoughts aside, but they never truly left her.

Emma jumped up, with a quick wiggle of her fingers, she felt the magic pulsating in her, ready. She knew where she was going. The one place Regina had refused to go, the mayors office, to Cora.

Emma charged through the streets, there was a rage building in her. The unfairness of everything had worn away at her too long, and now she refused to be the sad wreak she had been, she need her fire back. The power that made her strive to make things better.

She burst into the mayor's office, her magic flinging the doors open with a satisfying crash.

Cora sat at Regina's desk, a smug smile on her, beside her stood a man, pouring her a drink. He started as the door banged, but Cora remained stoic.

"Oh Emma, what a pleasure." she smiled, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Where is she?" Emma demanded, marching up to the desk, her hands resting on the surface, leaning towards Cora. It reminded her of the early days in StoryBrooke, where she was sure she had done the same to Regina. She wondered if that Emma would ever have believed how much Regina would come to mean to her.

"She's safe." Cora replied coldly, taking a sip from the glass that the man had filled.

Emma saw how the man, who had gone over to the drinks cabinet, kept looking over at them. She also saw the intense relief that filled his face, when Cora said Regina was okay.

That was when she realised who he was. Regina's father, Henry senior.

"Why did you take her?" Emma continued, turning her attention back to Cora.

"Isn't it obvious? To protect her from those who would harm her in this realm. Your one-handed wonder included." Cora sighed

"I doubt that."

"Well he did allow her to be tortured. Or had you tried to forget about that?" Cora smiled, her voice sickly sweet.

"I meant I doubt you have her best interests at heart." Emma snapped back

"I'm her mother."

Emma snorted, "That doesn't mean anything, I know what you've done to her."

Cora's jaw locked, and her face for a moment was filled with rage, before she let it settle.

"Before your mother killed me, I got my heart back, and as a result I have realised the error of my ways. Especially in regards to Regina. I'm trying to make it up to her, keep her alive."

"If you truly had changed, you wouldn't have taken her against her will."

Cora waved her hand, and a sleeping Regina appeared on the sofa, her arms folded across her chest.

Henry immediately rushed to her. Emma walked over to her, followed by Cora.

"She is under a sleeping curse. To keep her safe, and out of harms way."

"Break it." Emma shouted

"I can't. You know the rules only true loves kiss can break it."

Emma looked at her dumbfounded.

"I know that her forestry lover, and Henry are here too. One of them can break when you return." Cora said snappily.

"Henry doesn't deserve that sort of burden, what if it doesn't work!?"

Emma turned as she heard a sob from Henry. He was very gently stroking, Regina's hair. "Again I failed to protect you."

Emma felt once again, tears form in her eyes.

Another person she cared about, possibly gone forever. Emma knelt beside Henry, looking down at Regina.

"I'm taking her back to the manor," she replied not looking at Cora. "You can come with me." she said quietly to Henry.

"No!" Cora shouted, "She is mine."

Emma's hands shot up, sending a blast of magic at Cora, as Cora's magic flew towards her. Cora was hit square in the chest, and went hurtling across the room, colliding with the wall.

"She is not anyone's." Emma hissed.

She looked back at Regina, and for the first time noticed her necklace. A dreamcatcher. "Go find Tallahasse." Neal's words replayed in her head. She thought of the dream catcher she had with him, that represented all of their hopes and dreams together. Of all the dream catchers she had made to store memories, after Hook's curse. Then the dream catcher round Regina's neck, she vaguely remembered seeing Regina with dream catcher earrings once.

"Aint fate a bitch?" Regina's words replayed in her head. Emma had tried for so long to ignore how important Regina was to her. She had even tried to convince herself that she had taken the darkness to save the whole town, and not just because she had to stop Regina fading away from her.

Regina had come here for her.

It couldn't be? Could it? The Saviour in love with The Evil Queen.

In that moment though Emma felt like the world was standing still, that everything in the world had been conspiring for this moment. The moment she leant forward. The moment she tucked an errant strand of Regina's hair behind her ear.

"Come back to me." she whispered.

The moment she gently placed her lips against Regina's. The moment the sleeping curse broke. The moment Regina opened her eyes with a gasp.

Regina smiled up at her.

"Emma."

 _ **Fin.**_


End file.
